What is Zoa?
Zoa is, above all, a family name.
A few years ago, I came across it while researching my ancestry.
It immediately struck me as odd. "What sort of name is that?" I wondered aloud.
Even though I couldn't pinpoint why I loved it, I did.
Later, I looked into the etymology of this new, mysterious name.
I found that in Greek, the literal meaning of zoa is "animals": the plural form of the noun ζῷον (zóon).
But, it also reminded me of the name "Zoe", and as it turns out, the two names have some overlap...
noun, feminine
/ˈd͡zo.ay'
1. life-above
2. epithet of Jesus (John 14)
{literally or figuratively. used in a mortal, temporal sense and in an eternal sense.
The act of genuine, neighborly kindness is living above mere bodily, flesh-driven existence.}
That last part struck me. I paused and wondered if my great-great-grandmother embodied this sort of kindness.
I'd like to think that she did.
Then, I realized why I loved the name even before I knew what it meant:
It's because my soul recognized it before my mind did.
As a Christian, the meaning resonated with something I'd carried with me long before I ever encountered this word.
In the holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, we all participate in zoa: through love, community, and service.
Zoa Systems is a name inherited through two sorts of family: both earthly & heavenly. ☦
Hebrews 12:1-2